Cristy is the Senior Associate Director of Merchandise Management for University of Missouri Stores. Her team sources textbooks and general merchandise for all of the bookstores in the UM System – The Mizzou Store, UMKC Bookstores, The S&T Store, and UMSL Triton Store – as well as the Tiger Team Store. Her goal is to provide merchandise and course materials to support the Mizzou community – students, fans, alumni and faculty and staff. So if you’ve bought a tee shirt, pint glass, notebook or textbook from The Mizzou Store you’re already familiar with her team’s work. Cristy also enjoys mentoring and educating student employees as part of her role.

Cristy graduated from Mizzou in 2006 with a BSBA in Marketing and a minor in TAM. Her TAM courses set her on a path to pursue a career in retail, starting out with the CMA program at Payless ShoeSource World Headquarters. There she received an excellent foundation in merchandising, especially enjoying her roles in assortment planning and merchandise planning. But after four years away in Kansas it was time to come home to CoMo. She found a great fit in the UM Stores organization as the apparel buyer. It was fun and challenging to go from corporate retail to working for the University of Missouri designing custom merchandise. Since then, Cristy has held positions of increasing responsibility in the University of Missouri Stores organization.

Raj is currently the material development manager for the HOKA footwear brand where he manages the material creation and oversees the operations of the material development team. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Textile & Apparel Management in December 2012. During his time at Mizzou he worked as an equipment manager for the Mizzou athletic department from 2009 to 2012 where he became entrenched in performance product. While his role on the equipment team varied day-to-day, he found a niche handling the sewing, cleated footwear and testing duties for the athletes.

After graduation, Raj began his footwear career pursuit by driving to Oregon in hopes of landing a job with Nike. Shortly after arriving on the west coast Raj secured a part-time job at the coveted Nike Employee Store working the graveyard shift, stocking the shelves with product. It would eventually pay off as he was offered a temporary two-week project creating material palettes for the Nike footwear design team which would eventually lead to a full-time position at the headquarters in 2013. He has held various roles within product creation including material design, color, apparel materials development, footwear development and footwear materials development. After 10 years with Nike, Raj has accepted a role with HOKA to help lead their footwear team into the future.

His passion for footwear product creation runs deep and he hopes he can bring some of that passion to the students in TAM. A new addition to the advisory board in 2020, Raj is excited to join the team and provide insights into the industry along with encouragement and mentorship to the students and faculty of the TAM college.

Michele is the President of Dave Griggs’ Flooring America, Michele owns and operates a residential retail showroom in Columbia Missouri specializing in flooring, design and installation services as well as a Commercial Construction Division which operates throughout the State. She is recognized by the State of Missouri as a Women’s Business Enterprise. Michele takes great pride in being a female voice and mentor in both her industry and community. As a past Chair of Women’s Network she serves as a mentor to their organization. Currently holds an Advisory Council position with Flooring America/Flooring Canada, a shared service co-op of more than 500 independently owned Flooring Stores throughout the United States and Canada, is the incoming Chair of the Columbia Missouri Chamber of Commerce as well as a member of the Mizzou Alumni Association. Barbara is a Missouri University TAM Graduate, 1980. With a lifetime of living and working in the Kansas City community, Barb Bloch brings a unique skill set to the field of Philanthropy. During the past 37 years, Barb had been involved in the rich heritage of the Kansas City Garment Industry as an Entrepreneur, Retailer, and as a National Recruiter for two prestigious companies which allowed her the ability to forge friendships and personal ties in the business community, locally and nationally.

Michele has been the recipient of the Women’s Network Debin Benish Outstanding Business Woman Award, was named the 2021 Woman of Excellence in Retail by COMO Magazine, and received a Certification of Merit from the College of Human and Environmental Sciences.

Michele began her career in the flooring business after graduation from the University of Missouri and worked her way towards ownership of the business. She is a 1991 University of Missouri Graduate. Michele believes her TAM degree has been instrumental in her career in retail and flooring textiles which has spanned over 30 years and looks forward to giving back as an advisor to TAM.

Barbara is a Missouri University TAM Graduate, 1980. With a lifetime of living and working in the Kansas City community, Barb Bloch brings a unique skill set to the field of Philanthropy. During the past 37 years, Barb had been involved in the rich heritage of the Kansas City Garment Industry as an Entrepreneur, Retailer, and as a National Recruiter for two prestigious companies which allowed her the ability to forge friendships and personal ties in the business community, locally and nationally.

During her years in the Kansas City business arena, Barb also pursued her interest in community work and nonprofit board engagement. She has served on or is currently serving as the Jewish Federation’s Chair of their Allocations Committee for Kansas City and served on their Board Selection and Training Committee. She is currently serving on the Dean’s Council for Human Environmental Sciences  and served during the “Our Time To Lead Campaign” at the University of Missouri-Columbia and keeps a hand in the happenings at the Bloch Entrepreneurial School on the UMKC campus. She was involved in the Boy Scouts of America, and is an Honored Woman in the tribe Mic-O-Say. Barb is a past Gala Chair of and a current board member of The Heart Of America’s Shakespeare Festival and helps each year with their auction selections. Through these opportunities she has become very familiar with best practices of nonprofit governance and fund development. In 2014, Barb was hired by Pelofsky & Associates as Director of Major Gifts. She worked with numerous clients on individual donor solicitation, cultivation, and growth. In 2019, she joined the Byrne Pelofsky team and continues to provide expert consultation and guidance for nonprofit agencies. Barb’s path, a little like the Yellow Brick Road- a little windy, but ending with a clear path to the finish! Barb’s secret: many of her connections are from those rolodex files and bridges you should never burn.

LAURA BOZOIAN is a Global Business Leader known for maximizing growth and profitability through product innovation and visionary leadership. Her areas of expertise are Product Development, Design Management, and Manufacturing for fashion luxury brands.

Currently living in Texas, Laura is the Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain at KENDRA SCOTT LLC, an Austin based jewelry and accessory company. She holds full accountability for overall management of the global supply chain including, Development, Sourcing, Production, Quality, and Procurement.

Prior to joining KENDRA SCOTT, Laura was Vice President for DAVID YURMAN, a luxury-based jewelry company and was based in Bangkok, Thailand managing the manufacturing operations for Asia. Additional overseas experience includes her role as Country Manager for COACH INC. in Vietnam where she established and launched the first office and team in Saigon. There she led all operational aspects of the supply chain. Prior to living in Vietnam, Laura worked in the New York headquarters as a leader in development, engineering, and technical design commercializing product for Handbags and Accessories.

Additionally, Laura spearheaded Design and Development at organizations that include LIZ CLAIBORNE INC., and the NINE WEST GROUP INC. Laura also has professional experience in both the wholesale and retail environments.

Laura received her BS in Fashion Design and Merchandising from the University of Missouri and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Textile and Apparel Management School. Laura also trained at the University of Bradford in England and ARS Arpel in Milan, Italy.

Scott started at Buckle part-time in 1990 while attending the University of Nebraska- Kearney. After graduation in 1991, he opened and managed a Buckle in Duluth, MN and in the spring of 1992, he moved to Columbia, MO to be the store manager.

While in Columbia, Scott began working with other stores as an Area Leader. Today, as a District Leader, he works with 25 stores in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Missouri.

Currently, Scott is working on Buckle’s YouTube channel to shoot and release short videos inside and outside of the company for training and marketing purposes.

One of Scott’s favorite opportunities is the TAM Advisory Board where he can meet and interact with students that aspire to have careers in the fashion/retail industry.

Nicole is Vice President of Sales & Marketing of DRI-Duck Traders, Inc., an outdoor apparel brand best known for its rugged durability and hard-core comfort. Nicole’s passion for merchandising, marketing and sales were first kindled as a Textile & Apparel Management student at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In recent years, Nicole has successfully leveraged DRI Duck’s retail brand recognition to create rapid growth in the promotional marketplace. Her team is responsible for setting the product line each season, creating and executing both consumer and B2B marketing strategies, and creating sales growth both at retail and in the promotional products marketplace. Nicole lives outside of Kansas City with her two children, ages 7 and 9.

Rachel is the Director of AI Activation at Movable Ink, a marketing SaaS company enabling marketers to activate data within personalized content across touchpoints. In her current role, she leads the go-to-market efforts supporting the integration and scaling of the newly acquired AI personalization engine across retail clients, helping marketers successfully incorporate the use of AI-driven content into their digital marketing campaigns and workflows. Prior to the acquisition, Rachel was in a Director of Strategy | Retail role, leading consulting engagements with a select group of retail clients, providing thought leadership and strategic guidance of the best way to leverage Movable Ink within their MarTech stack. Prior to joining Movable Ink, Rachel worked on the client-side in a variety of marketing and CRM roles within the luxury retail space. She spent six years at Neiman Marcus, where she oversaw Personalization and CRM Marketing across email, SMS, and mobile app, in addition to leading a cross-functional agile team, focusing on A/B testing and scaling personalized customer experiences across stores and online. Rachel lives in Manhattan, NY with her fiancé, Carlos, and their corgi, Archie.

Michelle is the Vice President of Supplier Relations at Facilisgroup, a SAAS provider in the promotional products space with offices in St. Louis and Ottawa. Michele is a Mizzou TAM graduate and holds a master’s in supply chain management from Michigan State University.

Michele spent most of her career in apparel product development with May Company, Appleseeds, Talbots, and Soft Surroundings before joining Facilisgroup in 2022. In her role at Facilisgroup, Michele is responsible for the strategy, cultivation, and maintenance of the preferred supplier network of soft goods and hard goods for distributor partners that utilize Facilisgroup’s technology with an annual spend of $1B+.

Michele is married to Chris Dando, a fellow Mizzou graduate. They are parents to Mabel and Fiona and reside in the Botanical Heights neighborhood of St. Louis.

John is currently Co-founder and Managing Partner at Evolution St. Louis, a high-tech flat-bed knitting facility utilizing 3D technology. He has served as a Senior Sales and Operations Executive with Fortune 500 apparel companies, founded and sold an apparel company, launched major designer brands, managed acquisitions and serves as an industry consultant to private investment firms on global market trends in textiles and apparel. John has opened and directed international businesses and supply chain operations initiatives in over a dozen countries and his executive background includes working with NGO’s on Global Fair-Trade practices, as well as senior executive roles with Warnaco, Maidenform and Leslie Fay.

Ashley is a Buyer for Belk department stores. She joined Belk in Fall of 2021, and is responsible for buying and managing the dress & suit business. Prior to that, she worked at JC Penney for over 7 years. Ashley has held various positions of increasing responsibilities within the merchandising division there, which include Assistant Buyer of Traditional Men’s Collections, Associate Buyer of Young Men’s Arizona Jeans (private brand), and Sr. Buyer of Dresses/Suiting. Ashley provided leadership and direction to her team which consisted of assistant buyers, merchandise and inventory planners, allocators, as well as merchandise assistants.

Ashley has combined her passion for product and people along with her ability to persevere in an ever-changing retail landscape to succeed in her career. One of the most rewarding parts of her job includes developing and mentoring the talent on her team and building relationships with people in the industry. She also enjoys the fast-paced environment which retail provides and is always excited to take on new challenges.

Ashley joined the TAM advisory board at the University of Missouri in Fall of 2017 and is very excited to have the opportunity to work with the University faculty and students in preparing the next generation of retail professionals. When Ashley isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her husband traveling and seeing as much of the world as possible!

Ashley is a 2007 Textile and Apparel Management graduate from the University of Missouri. After graduation, Ashley accepted a position in the Executive Development Program at Dillard’s, St. Louis Division. In her 5-year tenure with Dillard’s she learned the retail business from the ground up. She had the opportunity to spend some time in stores as a Sales Manager, and then went on to join the corporate office as an Assistant Buyer in Women’s Coats & Suiting. Soon after, Ashley was promoted to Buyer of Better & Bridge Dresses where she remained for almost 3 years before leaving to pursue an opportunity at JCPenney.

Ashley joined the TAM advisory board at the University of Missouri in fall 2017 and is very excited to have the opportunity to work with the University faculty and students in preparing the next generation of retail professionals. When Ashley isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter traveling and seeing as much of the world as possible!

Heath serves as President of Marquee Brands. In this role, he oversees Marquee’s owned brands and leads global licensing and partnership development, while shaping the company’s mid and long-term strategies.

Until April 2022, Heath served as EVP, Chief Financial & Strategy Officer of Randa Apparel & Accessories. Heath assumed the CFO position during April 2020, which led to him successfully navigating RAA through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to taking on the CFO role, Heath served as EVP, Chief Strategy Officer of RAA and President of Randa Digital Labs. In his role as CSO, Heath led the acquisitions of the Haggar and Tribal brands, as well as a significant ownership stake in Moss Bros., a leading UK menswear retailer. These acquisitions transformed RAA into a diverse, $1+ billion provider and retailer of apparel and accessories across a broad portfolio of owned and licensed brands. As President of Randa Digital Labs, Heath oversaw RAA’s early-stage investment portfolio, led its efforts to build digital first, direct to consumer businesses and supported the omnichannel efforts of RAA’s retail partners through innovative digital marketing, content, and visual merchandising strategies, which paved the way for RAA’s explosive growth on eCommerce platforms, including Amazon.

Before joining Randa, Heath was President, Americas for Bendon where he conceived of and launched Heidi Klum Intimates and re-launched Frederick’s of Hollywood as an online pureplay. This followed eight years at Hampshire Group, where he joined as VP of Business Development and rose to CEO. During this time, he transformed the publicly-held, domestic sweater business into a sportswear provider serving all channels of distribution and multiple geographies.

Heath began his career as an M&A and private equity lawyer at leading law firms.

Young is a 1992 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. After serving 7 years in the US Army, he joined Cintas Corp in Mason (Cincinnati) OH in 1999. He worked in different business segments including the Rental Division / Industrial Laundering, Facility Services, Manufacturing and corporate headquarters. His work has taken him across the United States, Canada, and internationally. He had the pleasure of opening the Cintas Rental location in Columbia, MO in the early 2000s and work closely with students and leaders from the Department of Textile and Apparel Management at MU.

After supporting 9 production facilities in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida from 2012 to 2016, he recently took the role as General Manager of Cintas Corporation in Decatur, GA. He works closely with 140 great employees in both operations, sales, and junior leaders. Young enjoys being active outdoors and traveling to new locations.

Jake is a social media and digital marketing expert, known as the “influencer of influencers” – which he’s been doing successfully since graduating from the TAM Program at the University of Missouri in 2010. Growing up in Missouri, he was hungry for a big city lifestyle, so he moved 12-days after graduation and hasn’t slowed down since. From the very beginning, he saw his opportunity to be part of something new + innovative so he quickly made a name for himself by diving headfirst into the world of social media, and truly pioneering how to partner with influencers to create branded content.

During his tenure, at Factory PR, DBA and BMF and Create & Cultivate- Jake created his hybrid role of PR, Social Media, and Digital Marketing and now runs his own consulting business, Just Jake. His impressive and growing client list has included some of the top brands in the fashion, beauty, financial services, hospitality and consumer technology, including Tiffany & Co., Nine West, Juicy Couture, Kenneth Cole, Sunglass Hut, L’Oreal USA, Mastercard, Dell Technologies, Marriott Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and more. Jake’s expertise has been the driving force behind some of the most engaging content and storytelling online that’s driving awareness of brands, products, events and services globally. His events, activations and programs have been seen around the world at CES, Sundance, Fashion Week, SXSW, Coachella, The Grammys, The Oscars and more. He even led the first ever social media tour of the White House during the Obama Administration, with his own social media posts featured on national news outlets.

Today, Jake resides in Los Angeles, California where he balances running his business while earning his MBA on the side at Washington State University. He is an active alumni member for the University of Missouri, serving on the TAM Advisory Board, and loves to help mentor students. When he isn’t working, Jake loves to travel the world with his husband and visit his family in Missouri.

Misty is a 2000 graduate of the Mizzou TAM program and currently Vice President of Merchandising & Design for Build-A-Bear. Her passion for product has held strong over the 20+ year span of her career. Prior to joining Build-A-Bear in 2011, Misty held roles within Technical Design for May Company & Macy’s, Fabric & Trim Development, and Apparel Product Testing for Soft Surroundings and Retail Sales positions for American Eagle and Bath & Body Works at Columbia Mall while a student. She also owned her own custom invitation & graphic design business, Pink Tiger Designs, for a little more than four years.

In addition to her professional life, Misty has been involved in various Mizzou Alumni volunteer efforts and was the 2008 recipient of the Graduate of the Last Decade award from the Mizzou Alumni Association. She enjoys spending her free time traveling the globe with her family and close friends.

Misty currently resides in Chesterfield, MO with her husband David & step-daughter Ava.

As President of DRI-Duck and Caps Direct, Jason leads a team of motivated and talented merchandisers, sales people, and marketers who passionately bring high quality, creative apparel, head wear, and bags to market. He takes pride inspiring exceptional people to build dynamic business relationships around the country and around the globe.

Currently, he sets sales and sourcing strategy for Caps Direct which creates thousands of unique products promoting premiere brands. He works closely with TAM Advisory Board Chair, Nicole Parker, in leading Dri-Duck Traders, a work-inspired, outdoor apparel brand built on Hard Core Comfort.

Outside of work, Jason is involved in a variety of community organizations focused on improving civil dialogue and standing up against bigotry and hate.

Debbie is the SVP GM of Caleres’ Forward Movement Brands, which include Dr. Scholls, Ryka, LifeStride, and Bzees – a position she has held since July 2020.

Krivelow joined Caleres, a $2.6B global footwear company that puts consumers and their needs first, by targeting the strategic Heritage, Forward Movement and Self Expression platforms, in 2006 as an account director for the Naturalizer brand. In 2007, Krivelow was promoted to director of sales. She became National Sales Manager in 2008. In 2009, Krivelow was promoted to VP of Natural Soul and the Naturalizer makeup brand. In 2011, she was promoted to vice president, general manager of the LifeStride division. In 2013, Krivelow was promoted to senior vice president, general manager of the LifeStride and Ryka brands.

Krivelow has an extensive retail background including more than a decade of experience at Filene’s Department Stores before joining Caleres. At Filenes, she was an executive trainee and held numerous buying positions.

Deb began her career as an executive trainee for Filene’s Department Stores (a division of May Company) in 1994. She held numerous buying positions and was with Filenes for 12 years until they closed in May 2006.

She also recently joined the QxH Vendor Council, which is a combined advisory board leveraging the strengths from both their QVC and HSN vendor communities.
Krivelow holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Melissa is a 1983 graduate of MU with a degree in Textile Management/Journalism. She hit the ground running in retail. She joined the executive training program at Famous Barr (a division of the May department stores) immediately after graduation and was blessed with a fast-paced series of positions (9 in all) in both buying and support functions. Melissa had the pleasure of leading the Cosmetics business at Famous Barr for 7 years until the May Co. was acquired by Macy’s and she transitioned over as the VP/DMM of Intimate Apparel of the Midwest division. During the consolidation of Macy’s, she was thrilled to be chosen as a leader to pilot the “My Macy’s” initiative that eventually was rolled out nationwide with great success.

Melissa has also been DVP/DMM of Intimate Apparel/Sleepwear and Hosiery at JCPenney. Currently, she is Senior Vice President at Scrubs and Beyond.

Melissa is a 1983 graduate of MU with a degree in Textile Management/Journalism. She hit the ground running in retail. She joined the executive training program at Famous Barr (a division of the May department stores) immediately after graduation and was blessed with a fast-paced series of positions (9 in all) in both buying and support functions. Melissa had the pleasure of leading the Cosmetics business at Famous Barr for 7 years until the May Co. was acquired by Macy’s and she transitioned over as the VP/DMM of Intimate Apparel of the Midwest division. During the consolidation of Macy’s, she was thrilled to be chosen as a leader to pilot the “My Macy’s” initiative that eventually was rolled out nationwide with great success.

Melissa has also been DVP/DMM of Intimate Apparel/Sleepwear and Hosiery at JCPenney. Currently, she is Senior Vice President at Scrubs and Beyond.

Hillary found her calling when she transferred to the Department of Textile and Apparel Management. She majored in Apparel Merchandising and Marketing and graduated in 2001.

She worked as a personal live-in assistant throughout the summer after graduation then found a “real” job as a Product Developer at a watch company, MZ Berger. After one year, she moved to Carole Hochman Sleepwear as a Production Assistant for Jockey. She then went to Victoria’s Secret and was there for 7 years. She worked on Knit Tops, Swimwear, VSX, and Glamour Lingerie. She also lived in Hong Kong for two years working out of the sourcing office.Then Hillary moved to NYC and was the Senior Production Manager for Bras at Aerie. In 2018, Hillary joined Chico’s FAS, in in Fort Myers, Florida and has recently rejoined American Eagle Outfitters as a Senior Production Manager with Aerie.

As an industry apparel executive for more than 30 years working in all facets of the sector, Bret has had the unique experience to work in business in 70 countries, working with artisans and experts worldwide. Having been in more than 1,000 factories that employ 200,000 people, he cares deeply about the value of the opportunity this industry brings to developing countries and its people.Founder and CEO of Stars Design Group, a fashion design and production house, he believes in fostering an environment of innovation and evolution to stay ahead of the rapidly changing business climate. With offices worldwide and a network of 67 factories globally, Bret helps clients (brands and retailers) solve garment initiatives and production goals, regardless of category or country.

Uniquely Saint Louis based, with its historic legacy in apparel and new focus of innovation, Bret is invested in the blend of talent and technology to develop solutions that serve the demands of the consumer base, while supporting social and environmental goals.

Laura is originally from Jefferson City, Missouri and a 2000 graduate of the University of Missouri. Laura is a celebrity fashion stylist and is is co-owner of Salehi+Schuffman.

She began her styling career working for top stylists Deb Waknin, Vanessa Moore, and Seneca Moss. She served as the Contributing Style Editor for Los Angeles Weddings Magazine, Orange Coast Weddings Magazine, and is currently the network stylist for Freeform and the official My Little Pony Equestria Girls Stylist. She has been a featured stylist in Japan Vogue and her work has been featured on countless commercials, advertising campaigns, magazine covers, and editorial pages in publications such as GQ, In Style, Parade and Maxim. Laura is known for a style that is high fashion with a commercial appeal including a broad and well-balanced appeal to every type of client. Laura has also worked with a number of celebrities including Eminem, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, Troian Bellisario, Emily Osment, and Tyler Blackburn.

Nathan is the Design Director with Perry Ellis International in New York and a TAM alumni from the Class of 2011. Nathan began his career in Technical Design at Soft Surroundings, Inc. In 2013, he moved to New York and met a TAM alumni who offered him a job as a Technical Designer at a small design studio in Manhattan. Eager to transition to Creative design, Nathan began a rapid succession of freelance projects at various brands throughout the Garment District, which led him to Tory Burch in 2014. By his 3rd season there, Nathan had travelled with the company to Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh, and Bangkok, and was managing a growing team of Designers and TDs. He played a dynamic role in launching Tory Sport by Tory Burch in 2015. Nathan joined the Design team at Ralph Lauren Corporation in 2016. Having focused primarily on Cut & Sew Knitwear until this point, he was driven to expand his reach to include Wovens and Functional Outerwear. By 2019, having developed a keen interest Menswear, he became the Design Director at Aimé Leon Dore Inc. where he oversaw all Men’s Apparel and Accessories for 2 years. Innovation and diversity are the hallmarks of Nathan’s design portfolio, but his true passion lies in actualizing the ambitions of fellow creatives. Building on this idea, Nathan started his own Consulting business in 2021, which allows him the pleasure and flexibility to do just that. Today, Nathan offers Design, Development, and Technical Services for licensors, private clients, and emerging brands in New York City and Los Angeles.

Nicole moved to New York City upon graduating from Mizzou and began her career working for Ralph Lauren, where she discovered her passion for the creative side of the fashion industry. She started in the Design and Product Development Department and from there, moved into a role in Visual Merchandising. After five years with Ralph Lauren, she decided to take on a new challenge as the National Retail Coordinator with Dolce & Gabbana, training staff all over the US and Canada on product knowledge and visual merchandising techniques.

She met Brazilian couture designer, Carlos Miele, at a fashion show and soon after began working closely with him as his International Brand Manager. She traveled to Paris and Brazil to oversee design concepts, brand launches, and international showrooms. She then worked as the Director of Visual Merchandising and Creative Services for Diesel. She oversaw the creative vision for corporate events, 9 company showrooms, and the retail/wholesale channels, as well as managing a team of Visual Merchandisers located throughout the US. For her next career move, she joined the Visual Merchandising team at Michael Kors, helping to open more than 65 stores domestically and abroad, while also creating the global visual directives for the company. Following that role, she worked for retail consulting firm, Winston Retail Solutions, utilizing all of her brand experience and knowledge as a Creative Account Manager working with clients such as Under Armour, Calvin Klein, Lucky Brand Jeans, and many more.

In order to spend more time with her daughters (Zoe & Campbell), Nicole began freelancing as a Stylist. While utilizing her New York City fashion industry contact, she has worked with many luxury brands including Prada, Miu Miu, Lanvin, and Alexander McQueen.

She moved to Seattle (where her husband grew up) in 2016 and started her own Fashion Consulting business, Emerald City Stylist. She has been spending her time on a range of projects with this new venture – from consulting on Interior Design jobs to working with clients on “Closet Cleanses” to providing Personal Shopping services. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering for the East Seattle Foundation working with students at the University of Washington to hone their “Professional Presence.”